diff --git a/sickbeard/metadata/tivo.py b/sickbeard/metadata/tivo.py
index 6d9cd236ed8e4ec644b0e50c3585d035765f75b8..2d8051db37fa8bd0f0ea398a8e2cb22be99808b9 100644
--- a/sickbeard/metadata/tivo.py
+++ b/sickbeard/metadata/tivo.py
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ class TIVOMetadata(generic.GenericMetadata):
 
             logger.log(u"Writing episode nfo file to " + nfo_file_path, logger.DEBUG)
 
-            with io.open(nfo_file_path, 'w') as nfo_file:
+            with io.open(nfo_file_path, 'wb') as nfo_file:
                 # Calling encode directly, b/c often descriptions have wonky characters.
                 nfo_file.write(data.encode("utf-8"))